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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27348097">Birthday Boy</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/TabithaHallows/pseuds/TabithaHallows'>TabithaHallows</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Of Hidden Knives and Suits and Ties [5]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Assassination Classroom</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Aged-Up Character(s), Akabane Karma is a Little Shit, Alternate Universe - Assassins &amp; Hitmen, Birthday, Birthday Party, Crack Treated Seriously, M/M, One Shot, This Is STUPID</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-11-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-07 01:22:33</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,708</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27348097</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/TabithaHallows/pseuds/TabithaHallows</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>It's Gakushuu's birthday and with parties and family dinners aside, there's someone else who wants to wish him well.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Akabane Karma/Asano Gakushuu, Asano Gakuhou &amp; Asano Gakushuu</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Of Hidden Knives and Suits and Ties [5]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1981714</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>102</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Birthday Boy</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The music was too loud and the people were too many. Gakushuu wondered if Ren had done that on purpose so he would be forced to have a good time. What Ren didn't understand was that Gakushuu didn't necessarily find this to be a good time. Or a good way to spend his birthday if he was being completely honest, but this was Ren and he was far from surprised.</p><p>They'd been friends since their junior high days. Ren had been one of the few people he considered on his level and they'd always been rather close. He was certainly the only person Gakushuu would allow to throw him a birthday party like this. </p><p>He greeted everyone that approached with a charismatic smile and an benevolent 'thank you for coming' as he was supposed. After the around the eleventh person, he was hardly even aware that he was doing it anymore. It was like auto-pilot had taken over in his brain. At least this was all taking place in Ren's penthouse apartment and not his own home. This way he could make an excuse and go home early if he really wanted too. Not that would. That would put him at risk of seeming ungrateful and with so many people here, he had to keep up appearances.</p><p>"Gakushuu!" Ren came hurrying towards him with a grin. "Why are you hiding in the background? This is your party, after all."</p><p>"Is it? Or did you just want a reason to surround yourself with people that will compliment your decor?"</p><p>"Whoever said I couldn't have both?" Ren was utterly unabashed. "We'll be cutting the cake in half an hour so I want you out of this corner by then."</p><p>"Willingly?" Gakushuu scoffed, they both knew that would never happen. </p><p>"Don't be dull." Ren chastised lightly. "We both know that you could convince everyone in this room that you're having the time of your life if you wanted to."</p><p>Gakushuu sighed. He was right.</p><p>"Half an hour?"</p><p>"Half an hour." Ren confirmed with a smile and headed back into the crowd, probably to find some pretty person to serenade with even prettier poetry. </p><p>Gakushuu took one last look at the large group of people drifting about, collecting into separate groups to talk amongst themselves. He knew that if he continued to stand here he'd stick out and not for the best so he slipped deeper into the apartment and away from the party. He'd give himself a moment and then come back ready and prepared to seem like the happiest fucking Birthday Boy the world had ever seen.</p><p>He headed into the bathroom and shut the door behind him. He went straight over to the spotless marble sink and braced his hands against this. He couldn't help but think of all the things he could have been doing besides this. Like work. Work that could be done now to open up space for new work that hadn't even been set yet. </p><p>Ren hadn't even invited anyone of particular consequence. There were no potential business partners or rival to familiarise himself with, no one that piqued his interest past a fleeting glance. While he could appreciate his friends need to celebrate his birthday, this all got rather tedious after a time. </p><p>He studied his face in the mirror. His mothers strawberry blond hair and his father's lavender coloured eyes. It made for a striking combination that Ren had written enough poetry about to fill several books. His looks weren't too much like his parents though. </p><p>His mother's hair was lighter, almost blonde, his father's eyes were darker and often grey in certain lighting. The things he had always found the most similar about himself weren't even physical traits. And that was discounting the fact that he and his father had a damn near identical bone structure. He was patient like his mother, made close friends like his mother. And yet he was sharp, to put it simply like his father. Sharp minded, sharp intentions, sharp-tongued. He was reminded of that every time they spoke which had actually been only the previous night.</p><p>His parents always took him to dinner for his birthday, every year without fail. His father and he would make a competition out of who could charm the waiting staff most efficiently, his mother would call them hopeless children and ask for the tenth time that week when Gakushuu was going to find someone special and settle down. There were a lot of things about his mother that were far from typical but her need to see her son married was so stereotypically he often thought she was doing it on purpose to irritate him. </p><p>The night would end within a few hours. Gakushuu and his father would have insulted each other both vaguely and openly enough time to convince the world that they were enemies- which generally depended on the day- and then he would bid his parents farewell and head home alone. All in all, it always proved to be a peaceful night. Certainly peaceful compared to others that they'd shared. </p><p>At least with his parents, he had no need for false pretences. They knew his mannerisms as he knew there's, but that didn't apply to his current situation so he discarded it in his mind and turned to the task at hand. He was going to charm every last party-goer in this apartment and do so seamlessly. </p><p>He was almost ready to leave when a voice that spoke up genuinely startled him.</p><p>"Yo, Birthday Boy." </p><p>He twisted violently to face bathtub, hidden behind the curtain. If he hadn't known that voice so well he would have been sending the owner of it to the hospital in pieces. </p><p>He grabbed the curtain and ripped it aside, revealing just who he knew it would be. Karma. Who he had last seen a month ago, injured. Sitting the bathtub fully clothed. Drinking strawberry milk from a box.</p><p>"Didn't scare ya did I?" Karma flashed his fangs in a knowing grin.</p><p>"You did not." Gakushuu frowned. Karma had to have gotten better, he realised. Quieter, more stealthy. He'd had no clue Karma was there before he spoke and probably would have left never knowing he was there at all.</p><p>No. Wait. He realised something else. </p><p>The first time he'd met Karma had been the same. And even the first several times after that. He was suddenly struck by the possibility that Karma had been going easy on him, making his presence more noticeable. </p><p>"So, why are you moping in a bathroom on your birthday?" Asked Karma, far too causal for someone sitting in a bathtub. </p><p>"Why are you sitting in a bathtub in my friend's apartment?" Gakushuu quipped back. </p><p>"Making the bed after being in it would have been a pain." Karma shrugged. "And some of the best naps I've taken have been in bathtubs."</p><p>"You are an anomaly amongst men."</p><p>"I try."</p><p>"Now, answer my question seriously. What are you doing here?" </p><p>"I wanted to wish you a happy birthday." Karma smiled to bright for it to be fake and Gakushuu was struck with the most absurd need to crawl into that bathtub with him. </p><p>"And now you have. You should leave before someone catches you."</p><p>"We both know that's not going to happen."</p><p>"You may be good, Karma, but there are over forty people in this apartment."</p><p>"Only forty?"</p><p>Gakushuu scoffed and shook his head at that. Karma was incorrigible.</p><p>"Oh, before I forget." Karma shifted in the tub, putting his strawberry milk aside for a moment. "Turn around."</p><p>"Excuse me."</p><p>"You deaf? I said turn around."</p><p>"Why in the world would I do that?"</p><p>"Because I'm cute?"</p><p>"You're irritating."</p><p>"Rude. Just turn around. I want to give you something." When Gakushuu didn't move, Karma pouted like he was disappointed in him, golden eyes almost managing to appear sullen. "Oh, Gakushuu. You don't still think I'm going to kill you, do you? And I thought you knew me better than that."</p><p>"I am not concerned about that." Gakushuu snapped. He wasn't lying. He hadn't even considered that. "I simply do not see why I should do anything you tell me to."</p><p>"Someones in a mood." </p><p>"You do tend to have that effect, yes."</p><p>"You cut me deep, Gakushuu. Now, just be a good Birthday Boy and turn around." </p><p>"I will not." Gakushuu insisted, but then closed his eyes. "However...I will give you this."</p><p>"You really have to make things difficult, don't you?"</p><p>"You have five seconds before I open them."</p><p>"Damn, okay, chill."</p><p>Gakushuu heard Karma moving around again and felt something press against his curled fingers. </p><p>"Open your hand." Karma told him and he did so. "Okay, now open your eyes."</p><p>As Gakushuu did, he held up the item. It was a small aerosol can with a bright printed label. It read, 'Thot Repellant'.</p><p>Karma snickered to himself proudly. His eyes sparkled, completely and utterly bemused with himself and his gift. </p><p>"Happy Birthday! Great, isn't it? Perfect for parties like this."</p><p>Gakushuu didn't know whether to laugh at the sheer ridiculous of this or to spray Karma directly in the face.</p><p>"Well?" Karma prompted. "What do you think? I saw it and just knew you had to have it."</p><p>"Did your injuries leave you with permanent brain damage?"</p><p>"Oh, come on! It's brilliant!"</p><p>"It's juvenile."</p><p>"It's perfect."</p><p>"To whom? Juvenile's?"</p><p>"Is that like your word of that day or something? Aren't you at least going to say thank you?"</p><p>Gakushuu sighed, pinched the bridge of his nose and squatted down beside the bathtub.</p><p>"Fine. Thank you."</p><p>"Your wel-" And before Karma could finish his snigger, Gakushuu sprayed him. Karma immediately gagged, coughing and wheezing on the steady puff that had been shot directing into his open mouth. "What the hell!"</p><p>"I wanted to see if it worked." Gakushuu stood, perfectly composed and started for the door to rejoin the party. </p><p>"I am not a thot, asshole!"</p><p>Gakushuu half slammed behind him, letting the silence Karma was plunged in to be his reply. He shoved the can into his pocket, a grin of his own spreading across his lips. He wondered if it would work on his father. </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Okay, so I fucking laughed way too hard at this. Now I need fan art of Gakushuu spraying Karma and his father with Thot Repellant every time they try to get near him. Is it sad that this might be the peak of my creativity as a writer? Because I'm honestly not even mad about it.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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